Why Is This New G-Shock Over $1,000? One Word: Titanium

The terms G-Shock and stealth wealth don’t often occur in close proximity to one another, but what else do you call a $1,000+ G-Shock made to closely resemble the inexpensive, indestructible plastic icon. The new GMW-B5000TB is fully cased and braceleted in titanium with premium features like sapphire crystal and Tough Solar. The titanium is lightweight, so it’ll feel like the original “resin” (plastic) G-Shock, and it’s DLC coating has a rough matte matte texture to actually mimic the look so only the dedicated G-fans will know the difference — that’s “stealth wealth.”

Who’s buying a $1,000+ G-Shock? Ardent G-Shock fandom is a known phenomenon, and many who grew up in the early days of the original square-cased 5000 series are now at an age to indulge their nostalgia and spend money on such a premium version. Released today, the titanium iteration is an evolution of the Full Metal series that came in steel and was well received, but heavy for a G-Shock. So a titanium version is just what many fans were clamoring for. The recent release of the Apple Watch in titanium will further draw attention to the super strong, super light, still relatively premium material.

Titanium has properties that are indeed ideal for watchmaking, but it has to be specially treated to address its tendency to scratch easily. The DLC coating here should take care of that. Scratch-proof, anti-reflective sapphire crystal is also a feature rarely seen on G-Shock watches south of the very high-end MR-G collection. This version further includes other somewhat premium features like solar charging and smart connectivity — but it gets extra points for using a positive (dark text on light background) STN-LCD display, which offers objectively superior legibility (and that’s important).

Basically, it’s the ultimate G-Shock for fans of the original 5000 series — almost perfect if it weren’t so expensive. Some people won’t understand why you’d want something that looks almost exactly like an inexpensive watch, but those hardcore, in-the-know G-Shock enthusiasts will recognize and appreciate what makes this very faithful G-Shock worth a premium. The gold highlights are a touch found on a number of the brand’s special editions, but the GMW-B5000TB is not limited. Pricing in Japanese yen is currently the USD equivalent of around $1,388, and the watches will be available in Japan from November 8, 2019.




(Some of the images used in this article are from the internet, and the above are for reference only. If there is any infringement, please contact our platform in a timely manner, and we will make timely corrections or deletions. Thank you for your support!)